The temporary creation of hairstyles for a longer time period up to a number of days normally requires the use of setting active substances. Hair treatment agents used for a temporary shaping of the hair therefore play an important role. Suitable agents for temporary shaping typically include synthetic polymers and/or waxes as a setting active substance. Agents for supporting the temporary reshaping of hair can be produced, for example, as a hair spray, hair wax, hair gel, or hair foam.
In addition to a high degree of hold, styling agents should satisfy a wide range of further requirements. These can be divided roughly into properties on the hair, properties of the particular formulation, e.g., properties of the foam, gel, or sprayed aerosol, and properties related to the handling of the styling agent, particular importance being attached to the properties on the hair. Mention can be made in particular of humidity resistance, low tackiness (tack), and a balanced conditioning effect. Furthermore, a styling agent should be universally usable, if possible, for all hair types and be gentle to the hair and skin.
In order to satisfy the different requirements, many synthetic polymers for use in styling agents have already been developed as setting active substances. The polymers can be divided into cationic, anionic, nonionic, and amphoteric setting polymers. The polymers when used on hair ideally form a polymer film that, on the one hand, gives the hairstyle a strong hold but, on the other, is sufficiently flexible not to break under stress.
A disadvantage the film-forming polymers, however, is that the films formed after application of the styling agent become brittle under mechanical stress and break, so that the hairstyle hold is lost over time. A styling agent of this kind, after it has dried, allows no permanent restructuring or reshaping of the hairstyle.
Therefore, it was an object of the present invention to provide styling agents with which a long-lasting hairstyle hold can be assured and with which a permanent restructuring of the hairstyle is possible also a long time after the application of the styling agent.
JP 2001-246352 A discloses a styling agent composition that includes hydrophobic silicon dioxide, in addition to other components, in an ethanolic dispersion. The styling agent is sprayed and the ethanol evaporated, the silicon dioxide remaining on the hair as a hairstyle fixative. It has also been reported that the hair can be restructured. It would be desirable, however, to have available styling agents that can be applied in a manner different from spraying. WO 2014/157561 A1 discloses styling agents that include hydrophobic silicon dioxide and a large proportion of water and ethanol in addition to other necessary components.
Known styling agents usually permit the creation of either a rather shiny appearance of the hair or a matte look. Depending on the desired appearance, different products can therefore usually be used. It was a further object of the present invention to provide styling agents that permit the creation of a matte as well as a shiny look.
Furthermore, typical requirements for styling agents such as low or no formation of residues, humidity resistance, low tackiness (tack), and a balanced conditioning effect should be fulfilled.
The above-described objects were achieved surprisingly according to the invention by the compositions disclosed herein.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with this background of the invention.